Laughter Doesn't Live Here Anymore
by coldtiredsore
Summary: The Weasleys discover the true tragedy of living without Fred and laying him to rest.     A/N I don't own these characters.  JKR is the brilliant creator.
1. The Clock

The summer sun shone brilliantly upon the Burrow that morning and countless guests were expected to arrive within the hour. George sat at the kitchen table, mindlessly stirring his tea and staring at the family's clock. For the first time since the war, the clock revealed that all eight Weasleys were home...  
He looked into his parents' eyes and realized they only ever did what they thought was right and smirked to himself about his glory days when the goal was "give 'em hell!..."

Bill was next, the first married Weasley kid even with Greyback's scars on him. But George had come to find that battle wounds somehow separate the boys from men. Instinctively, his hand covered the gaping hole where his ear had been. His oldest brother was one of his best mentors in the ways of quidditch, an attitude toward school, and of course – the ladies.

Charlie is the Romanian free spirit and always good for a laugh… Before Bill's wedding day, he suggested the Weasley boys went into the muggle town with firewhiskey coursing through their veins, shouting , singing, and living life in ways their Uncle Bilius had encouraged and their Mum had feared.

Percy… Always the perfect, annoying git; always wanted to be left alone and wanted to keep his younger siblings in line. He never had his siblings' respect, probably because he didn't have that charisma. Perce was almost outlawed from the Burrow; his pretentious behavior led to his belief that his family was insufficient and the ministry was the answer. But he sure had a comeback at Hogwarts that night.

"Why weren't you quick enough?"  
George spat with a heavy sigh, but then he mumbled an apology. He couldn't hate his brother anymore, he's one of the few he's got now…

Ron's name was located by the barn, probably talking to Hermione and maybe Harry, too. His kid brother was always the joy to pick on because he squirmed so easily. _Ron, a spider! _That's all it took until he grew up and began to fall for Hermione, when the mention of her name caused him to turn maroon with embarrassment. The twins always thought it was pathetically obvious and much too old-fashioned. Ron is gonna turn out alright though… George and the whole family know it; he grew up away from home and it's all thanks to his friends… Lucky he sat next to Potter on that trainride, if not Ron might've died from poison, Dad might have died in the Ministry, and Ginny would be lying in the Chamber. "Shake it off, mate."

Ginny's a whole other story. God she grew up from that little girl who always tried to be the center of her brothers' attention to gain their approval. Then, she began to profess her love about Harry Potter. She went on about that since she laid eyes on him and it was quite annoying; naturally the twins were sure to take her under their wings and made her promise to marry "the love of her life" if she ever saw him in the Burrow. The day they brought Harry back and Ginny saw him, she could have been a ghost… no colour in her face, no voice, and no ability to be anything but clumsy. They've always had good fun with her. She was the only one in the family who threw a joke or insult back and be herself outside the Burrow. She always looked up to the twins, once asking if she could be their triplet (at the age of 4). Her brothers laughed, but realized she was a special kid and they've always been quite proud of her, from her Quidditch skills to her Bat Bogey Hex. That's why George has to keep his eye on Potter… if that kid breaks his sister's heart again, he'll get more than Gin's curse.

~~~~~~ _(FLASHBACK):  
Fred and George came home the weekend Ron and Ginny were done at Hogwarts so that the family could be together after Dumbledore's death. After a night of their homemade fireworks show for Tonks and Remus, they heard heavy breathing in the garden.  
"Lumos." Fred's wandlight revealed Ginny sitting on the ground, awestruck, with tears streaming down her face and red, puffy eyes._

_"You've blinded me!" She lied, wiping her eyes. Her brothers rolled their eyes and pulled her arms away from her face. _

_"What's up Gin?"_

"I'm so happy for Tonks and Lupin!" She rushed, trying uselessly to change the subject.

_Fred cut her off. "Since when do you lie to us, kid? If it's about Dumbledore, it's… mad…. It'll be alright, just give it time."_

Ginny half laughed. "I wish! That wouldn't seem so pathetic. I'm not one of those girls that cries over every bloody thing… especially to her older brothers!"

"Come on, Gin! We'll only harass you a little."  
George piped in "We promise we'll play nice."  
" Now what is it?" They asked in unison.

_Ginny looked them straight in the eyes. "It's Harry." She breathed, watching their confused faces hang in anticipation. "It… it's over."_

"I'll kill that kid!"  
"What happened?"

She sighed. "He wants to save my life. He has to be so noble all the time, it's so stupid! Why do I like him? Doesn't he know I'm strong enough? I've had my fair share of dark magic experiences with Riddle's bloody diary, incase he's forgotten and –" she grunted "I wish I could just slap him to knock some sense into him!"

Her brothers smirked at each other and George nodded for Fred to speak first: "You want to smash his head in?" He tilted his head as if weighing the consequences, "we'll come along. That's what we want to do to all of your boyfriends anyway, Gin!"

The muscles around her mouth twitched as she almost smiled. "ALL of them… Like I've had so many."

George knew it was his turn to try. "You're a romantic, Gin, with that whole heart-set-on-one-person-and-one-person-alone-business. We told you you're lucky 'cause we approve of this one, but-"

Ginny tried to interrupt, but stopped as Fred held up a finger to silence her as he picked up his brother's train of thought.

"_Most people out there don't think you're anything special, like Harry used to, and these people don't deserve a second of your time because you have to try too and you forget to be yourself. Then you've got the gits who don't understand you; that's been Hermione's issue with Ron, I expect… they're too much work and far too stupid.  
And then you have the people who get to know you and might even …" he turns to meet Ginny's bold gaze "love you. Yeah, you know I hate those prats, and they seem mad and no one's got a clue what's wrong in their heads. Turns out, they're thinking with their hearts, Gin. Alright look, you won't like hearing this, but I'm glad you two are taking a break so you won't be bait. Blimey, when we thought we lost you to the Heir of Slytherin..."_

"And that was before we got hold of you and broke you out of Percy's silent ways of life." George nodded, grinning. "If you know you'll wind up with Harry, you're gonna. He knows you're a brilliant person, Gin, and if not then he's way too daft and we'll need to rethink our approval."

"But if I'm a such romantic, maybe I'm imagining that he thought I was good for more than just snogging." She mumbled.

" 'Scuse me, I did not need to hear that, Ginevra." Fred closed his eyes and shook his head in mock disapproval. "Next time he comes back to the Burrow, talk to him." Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'm not telling you to propose like when you were ten! I dunno… think like us," he winked "… see what you can get out of him."

Ginny's eyes widened, "Get out of him? Test him? …Or like a promise!" Her brothers could see her wheels turning, confidence building, and knew that she liked their idea. "So I'll know he'd be with me if he wasn't going off on that mission next year."

"Yeah," Fred smirked, "a promise. 'Cause you know veela are increasingly more popular all around the world and well…" He pretended to be a damsel in distress – one hand on his forehead as if he fainted and the other clutching his firewhiskey, " I'm sure he'll think of you."

Ginny playfully smacked his arm, knocking the drink out of his hand. "Oh shutup!" She giggled "are you just jealous Bill's marrying a girl who's half-veela or that your younger siblings are closer to relationships than both of you?"

The twins pondered for a minute, looked at each other and then nodded, "nope, just the veela thing!"

Ginny smiled fully for the first time that night as they pulled her from the ground and the three walked back into the house, each person both making and receiving jokes…~~~~~~~~~~~~~

George was pulled out of his reverie by a slight tapping on the clock.  
"It's wrong," Ginny whispered as she stared at Fred's hand on the clock. His eyes were closed and he could have been sleeping. If only he was upstairs sleeping, or even creating a new product that would make her life difficult, she didn't care. This is the worst experience she'd ever had dealing with Fred. She looked around and jumped as she saw George sitting at the kitchen table. "Oh!... George… I… um… I'm-"

"I know, Gin…" George scanned the empty table, none of his siblings sat there fighting over the last of Mum's biscuits; no laughter seemed to live in the Weasley house anymore. "It's not fair." He nodded for his sister to take a seat. They sat together, although lost in their own memories of that witty boy. Simultaneously, smiles crept across their faces as they began to recall powerfully happy memories and Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Um… morning, may I help you?" A middle-aged man in black dress robes nodded his head solemnly, "I'm here to assist in the burial charms for Fred Weasley. I understand the service is at 10 o'clo-"

George let a sob escape his body and he dropped his teacup onto the table as he tried to cover the sound. This ministry official said the name, the name George couldn't bring himself to speak without dissolving into a fit of heavy breathing, shaking, and crying.  
'Fred can't be gone,' he thought and tried to recall happy memories, but none came to mind. All George could remember was his twin's lifeless body lying in the Great Hall, the ghost of his last laugh still etched on his face. Clumsily, he left the kitchen to go upstairs. As Ginny watched her broken brother go, her stomach lurched. She made no attempt to explain George's behavior, which needed no apology, and took a deep breath before telling the man she would fetch her parents.

"Mum?" She swallowed, "Dad?" Another pause, as she tried to meet their red eyes, "the man is here."  
Arthur and Molly Weasley proceeded downstairs, where they found a patient man, waiting in their doorway and a shattered teacup on the table. Arthur welcomed the man, who introduced himself as Mr. Wood, and bade him to sit while Molly shook her head as the tears slid down her nose.

"Georgie," she whispered to the teacup, "don't you leave us, too..."

Mr. Wood respectfully reviewed the details for the day's ceremony, which they previously discussed. "That only leaves the matter of the eulogy."  
"Eulogies," Arthur corrected him and met Wood's interested gaze. "We'll all speak about him. Fred would like that… very family-oriented." Mr. Wood nodded as he crossed out a plan in his notepad. "Right then," he stood, "I'll be outside as you all…" He caught sight of the unique Family clock and was momentarily mesmerized, "a- as you get ready. I'll see you in an hour."

Molly rested her head on her husband's quivering shoulders, "I'd give anything for it to be me in that tomb… not our boy." Arthur stroked her graying, ginger hair, "I know, Molly… I know."


	2. The Ceremony Begins

"Excuse me." There was a knock on the half-open bathroom door where Bill and Charlie were brushing their teeth. They exchanged tired, confused looks as Bill opened the door to reveal a very nervous Percy Weasley in spotless black dress robes and clashing disheveled red curls. "Right… I just thought I should tell you that Mum wants the whole family downstairs in 5 minutes."  
Percy looked back and forth at his brothers, unsure what they think of him… do they hold him responsible for Fred like he does? After what felt like an eternity of awkward staring, Percy turned to walk downstairs until he was stopped by a hand on his left shoulder.

"Go easy on yourself, yeah?" Percy turned and looked into the scarred, thin face of his brother Bill, who smiled, "tell Mum we'll be down in a moment." Percy began walking down the steps, counting his blessings. He didn't deserve his family; he betrayed them for the godforsaken ministry. Fred was the first one to let him back in… Fred was so amazed that Percy stopped being a prat for the first time in his life that he was caught off guard and left with only his humour as a defense. Percy would never forgive himself…

Molly took her head from her husband's shoulder when she heard Percy creak on the stairs. She extended her hand to her son, which he gratefully accepted. "Perce," she spoke with a sad smile on her face and looked at her boy, "I'm so thankful you came home." Percy beamed and hugged his mother, something for which he used to feel far too superior.

Within minutes Bill and Charlie descended the stairs as Ginny and George reentered, joining their parents and Percy in the kitchen. The Burrow was missing that wonderful humourous atmosphere for which it was loved and although no one would say it, each Weasley feared that it died along with Fred. Ron entered through the back door. "They're ready for us." No one moved, no one wanted to admit this tragedy was real. Finally, Arthur stood.

"Children, I know how heartbroken we all are. We've lost one of our own and nobody can ever take his place." As he spoke, he watched his children's heads raise as they began to look at him, "Today won't be easy… these days never are. How could we even try to put Fred Weasley into words?" Smiles began to spread across the Weasley's faces. Fred was a pain and a gift all at once. "Please, children," he looked at his wife, "Molly… live your lives for him. He'd have never wanted you to cry or to waste the day, moping in bed…"

"Not unless we've caused it." George said with a watery chuckle. This gave Molly the strength to stand and the hope to try today. "Oh that boy…" She shook her head, so proud of her late son and of all of her brilliant children, battle scarred and seemingly broken. She knew the family would grow closer than ever before. Fred would have wanted that. "Daddy and I will speak first." Arthur nodded, "Then Bill and Charlie. Then Percy. Then Ron and Ginny, and then Georgie." 

"No." George faced his mother, "Mum, I don't know if I want to be up there by myself." Molly nodded. "Yes of course, m'boy. Whatever you want." George, still facing her spoke, "Gin, wanna come up with me?"

Ginny smiled at her brother, "of course." She grew up admiring her brothers, always longing for their support and now that she's older, she'd give her life to be there for them.

"Then it's settled. Daddy and I, Bill and Charlie, Percy and Ron, and then Ginny and George." She nodded, admiring her children's courage. "Well… Let's get going." They all began to stand but stopped, "I am so proud of you all," she spoke with a watery smile, "Freddy will be with us today and every day."

The seven Weasleys began the slow walk out to the back yard, where purple chairs were lined with black bows, a little over a hundred people gathered to pay their lasts respects, and a burgundy casket floated in a corner, waiting to be led down the center aisle by Arthur and Bill.

George stared at the coffin and couldn't believe Fred would never leave it. He missed his other half. He needed to see his twin push the lid open and jump out with a huge smile on his face. It would be a cruel, sick joke, sure, and Mum would go ballistic, but that's the kind of thing they've come to expect with the eccentric Fred Weasley. "Blimey, Fred…" George shook his head and tore his gaze from Fred's casket and he found his place next to Ginny.

She squeezed his hand when she sensed his weakened presence, "We'll get through this." She turned to face him "together, ok?" George looked down at his little sister and almost found the strength to smile. She grew up as strong as any of the Weasley brothers. "Fred would be so proud of you, Gin." George was proud of her, too.

The family began their procession to their seats and the ceremony began as Mr. Wood and other Ministry healers performed protective charm spells over the body and the casket. "It's remarkable," he told the crowd after moments of silent magic, "this young man's smile is still imprinted on his face, even in death, his deep love for the joys of life is undeniable." Once the casket was closed, he enlarged a recent portrait to be displayed during the family's eulogies. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, we will all hear from Fred's family, who knew and loved him better than anyone else. Starting off with his Mum, Molly and his Dad, Arthur…."

The family sat in the first row, holding each other's hands. When he heard their names, Arthur rose slowly and extended his hand, demonstrating as much strength as he could muster for his shaky wife. The Weasley children watched as their parents approached one of the most difficult moments following the war. Each one marveling at their bravery and wishing that Fred could be with them, sharing his wonderful sense of strength and levity in this dark time…

R&R! Chapter 3 will be Molly's & Arthur's accounts of their son.


End file.
